Hanging Gardens
'"This tower built in the midst of a barren desert rises level after level, each step more laden with verdant vegetation than the last" The Hanging Gardens are the final dungeon and the lead up to the final battle. It becomes available after the Siege of the Royal City of Heim and is not accessible during CODA. It is accessed from Boulder Sands The Gardens' set-up is largely maze-like with a central route of floors with several additional floors and shortcuts accessible by finding hidden doors on certain floors. If no shortcuts/hidden doors are activated the available floors/route is 1>2>4>7>9>10>13>15>17>18. One thing to be cautious of, is that the edges of the maps for all floors except the first, Characters can get knocked off the maps and unless they're a flying character, they will instantly die and lose a Life. Doors can be opened by standing on the panel in front of them. The Hanging Gardens Foot of the Gardens (Floor 1) "King Dorgalua had these Hanging Gardens Built as a gesture of affection towards his queen, Vernotta" *Leads to Floor 2 *Hidden Door to Floor 3 (19,9/8) *Hidden Door to Floor 6 (5,12/12) *(If returning by WORLD - there is also a shortcut to Floor 18) The Serpent's Spine (Floor 2) "The sluice gates to the Hanging Gardens. Excess water was released here to control water levels in the gardens. Parts were build to work in aeternum" *Leads to Floor 4 His Fist Upraised (Floor 3) "A statue of a god molded in pure gold once rested on this floor. It was stolen during the war." *Leads to Floor 5 Echoes of Her Passage (Floor 4) "A statue of a goddess molded in pure silver once rested on this floor. It was stolen during the war" *Leads to Floor 7 *Hidden Door to Floor 8 (3,12/15) Tears of Topaz (Floor 5) "According to rumor, the waterway here was once lined with topaz stones" *Leads to Floor 8 The Verdant Stair (Floor 6) "A steep stair facing north, thought to be for emergency use during an attack" *Leads to Floor 7 *Hidden Door to Floor 10 (7,9/11) Songs of Raven Hair (Floor 7) "Black-haired entertainers from faraway lands once played and sang from morning till night" *Leads to Floor 9 Enraptured Dreams (Floor 8) "A playroom designed by King Dorgalua himself for his son, born when Dorgalua was already well-on in years" *Leads to Floor 10 Hold High Your Cups (Floor 9) "Here, during times of peace, the King would share wine with the knights who had fought for his throne" *Leads to Floor 10 *Hidden Door to Floor 11 (15,13/24) *Hidden Door to Floor 12 (15,5/18) Halcyon Days (Floor 10) "One of the King's favorite parts of the gardens. How charming the swirling flower petals, how delicious the fruit, and how beautiful the maidens" *Leads to Floor 13 The Beast Has Fangs (Floor 11) "The Hippogryph that served as the King's steed in war was stabled here" *Leads to Floor 14 Vermillion Stair (Floor 12) "This Corridor was used as a landing for shipments of food and other provisions to the gardens" *Leads to Floor 15 *Hidden Door to Floor 16 (13,9/19) Sounding of the Hours (Floor 13) "Following the death of the Prince, the King sat long hours here before illness took him." *Leads to Floor 15 *Hidden Door to Floor 16 (12,14/27) Faith and Devotion (Floor 14) "Thinking that the Prince's death had been his own doing, the King offered himself to the Gods hoping to do penance" *Leads to Floor 15 Sharp and Cold the Stars (Floor 15) "After the Prince's death, the Queen spent much of her time here, gazing at the stars" *Leads to Floor 17 Ebon Stair (Floor 16) "This passageway used to lead to the uppermost level, but was closed when the Prince fell from here to his death" *Leads to Floor 17 *Hidden Door to Floor 18 (4,1/4) Ivory Stair (Floor 17) "A passageway to the uppermost level. Here the Prince ascended to the next world, led by a heavenly host" *Leads to Floor 18 Twixt Heaven and Earth (Floor 18) "The uppermost level of the Hanging Gardens. A flame burned here for 100 days in an offering that the Prince's soul might find rest after his death" *Leads to "The Heart of the Gardens" The Heart of the Gardens The Tomb Below "The Tomb of King Dorgalua is a forbidden place, a giant cavern beneath the Hanging Gardens" Relics of the Past "Ancient ruins buried deep below the Hanging Gardens" Chamber of the Seal "There is an ill feel to the air here in the deepest level of the caverns." The Two Knights The Final Battle Trivia *Several of the floor commentaries detail the events and reasons for Dorgalua turning to the Ogres and his resulting transformation for the final battle. *In the Original Tactics Ogre, The Hanging Gardens were known as 'Eden', referencing the Christian 'Garden of Eden'. Category:Maps Category:Dungeons